Are we such heartless, monstrous things?
We have witnessed some brutal, gruesome and horrific deeds in our country over time and many of us have been numbed and hardened by it. But even by our standards for withstanding cruelty and even though no blood was shed, we were shaken beyond belief by the sheer heartlessness of the monsters who robbed a disabled woman at gunpoint of her wheelchair and left her on a sidewalk on Tuesday.
Is it possible for criminals to sink any lower? Are these men or demons and what should be done with such monsters when they are caught?
According to the utterly disturbing story in yesterday’s edition of the Jamaica Observer, three gunmen held up physically challenged Ms Coretta Vincent and robbed her of her motorised wheelchair, leaving her lying on the sidewalk on Spanish Town Road in the vicinity of the May Pen Cemetery. The 37-year-old resident of Waltham Park Road, Kingston was reportedly travelling in her wheelchair along the busy thoroughfare, heading to downtown Kingston to buy goods for a small stall she operates in the commercial hub of the capital city when the armed thugs struck.
“I was going to town to purchase mi sweetie and other items to do my little hustling when a group of men drove up and held me up at gunpoint,” Ms Vincent told the Jamaica Observer.
The disabled woman, who has lost the use of both legs and one of her hands, said she could not even raise her hands above her head when the criminals pointed their guns at her. The frightened mother of one said her life flashed in front of her as she began to brace herself for what was to come next.
She said she was preparing herself to be robbed of the little money she had to purchase the items but was left dumbstruck when the criminals did the unthinkable.
“One of the men come out of the van and him show mi him gun and seh a di wheelchair him want,” Ms Vincent related, tears in her eyes as she relived the ordeal.
“The men came out of the vehicle, took me out of the chair and left me on the roadside and then sped off in the vehicle,” she added. Ms Vincent said she was so traumatised she could not even call for help as she lay on the roadside. Help came about 20 minutes later in the form of a good Samaritan, a cart operator, who took her downtown.
We are completely at one with the vendors in downtown Kingston who were justifiably angry when they heard of the wicked act perpetuated on Ms Vincent.
“You can imagine if dem deal wid her that way a how dem would deal with the able-bodied persons,” said one vendor, who plies her trade along West Queen’s Street. All criminals like those you caan sorry fi dem when things reach dem,” said another vendor.
We feel the shame and disgrace of it all. And we wonder if those men were born of a woman. Could it be possible that they wanted the wheelchair to sell? Is there another disabled person who would buy the wheelchair without first ascertaining its source?
Pardon us, dear reader, but we are feeling pure unadulterated anger!